Pole-climbing equipment



Oct. 29, 1968 w. v. JOHNSON 3,407,898

POLE-CLIMBING EQUIPMENT Filed March 1, 1967 v INVENTOR 44 5545) zJay/msaw, J4

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,407,898 POLE-CLIMBING EQUIPMENT Wesley V. Johnson, 2635 Arden Ava, Panama City, Fla. 32401 Filed Mar. 1, 1967, Ser. No. 619,778 Claims. (Cl. 182-9) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a safety belt for a linesman which offers protection from falling and also to assist pole climbing. The safety belt including an attachment consisting of a pair of slides mounted on said belt adapted to project between the belt and the pole when in operative position.

This invention relates to improvements in pole-climbing equipment and more particularly to a safety attachment for the so-called safety belt of a linesmans poleclimbing equipment which not only offers the lineman using same protection from falling but also makes pos sible a somewhat different procedure for climbing poles such as electric and telephone poles which is simpler, safer and less tiring than that conventionally used.

While there are of course individual variations, the accepted procedure practiced in climbing poles by a linesman using conventional climbing equipment comprising body belt, safety belt and climbers (leg irons) provided with gaffs, is to press or kick the gaffs into the pole in a progression of upward steps while holding onto the pole with arms outstretched and 'with the body in somewhat of a crouched position. When the climber has ascended to the desired working height, he releases one hand from the back of the pole, reaches down to his waist and disengages one end of the safety belt which, up to this point, has been suspended by both its safety snap hooks from one of the body-belt D rings, and passes such freed end around the back of the pole, finally engaging its safety snap hook with the second D ring of the body belt, whereupon his hands are now free to work.

The term safety belt as applied to the belt which is passed around the pole as aforesaid is misleading in that it provides little safety to the climber but, rather allows the climber to remain substantially upright, hands free, while performing his work. Should a gaff skid off the pole or for any reason fail to make sufficient penetration to bear the climbers weight, he will either slide down the pole, gathering splinters, scratches, etc. while descending, or if he falls free thereof, will land on any object below with possible serious injury resulting from impact. Should the gaffs break away from the pole while the climber is attached thereto by his safety belt, he has no chance to fall free thereof but, instead, is pulled against the pole by the safety belt, and again skids down the face of the pole, usually gathering splinters, scratches, etc. en route.

While the above inadequacies and lack of safety in use of the standard climbing equipment have been appreciated and attempts made heretofore to improve same, such have not gone into any substantial use for various reasons, among which may be noted their inability to serve their intended purpose, cumbersome construction, difiiculty in operation, and/ or incompatibility with existing pole climbing equipment.

Briefly stated, a major object of the present invention is the provision of attachment means therefor effective to protect a pole climber using standard pole-climbing equipment against injury in the event that one or the other of the gaffs sustaining his weight breaks away from the pole which he is climbing or descending same (dur- 3,407,898 Patented Oct. 29, 1968 ing both of which operations his safety belt when used conventionally is wholly inactive) or if both his gaffs break away when he is attached to the pole in working position by his safety belt.

Another important object of the invention is the provision of a safety attachment for existing pole climbing equipment which makes possible a procedure for climbing and descending poles which is simpler, safer and less tiring than that previously used with conventional pole climbing equipment, and which further insures against the climber sliding down or falling free of the pole from an elevated working position thereon in the event of his gaffs breaking loose from said pole.

More particular objects of the invention are the provision of a safety attachment for standard pole climbing equipment which is simple in design, of a construction which lends itself to relatively inexpensive fabrication, which is easy to use, and is thoroughly dependable in its operation.

The above and other objects and features of advantage of a safety attachment as stated in the foregoing will appear from the following detailed description of a physical embodiment thereof shown as assembled to existing pole climbing equipment of the type well known to pole climbers, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view generally illustrating the safety attachment of the invention assembled to the safety belt of standard pole-climbing equipment which further includes a body belt;

FIG. 2 is a plan View showing the slides of the safety attachment in their fully projected or hold position;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail view showing the action of the safety belt in securing one of the slides in the hold position to which it has been projected; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the detailed construction of the slides.

As indicated in the foregoing and illusratively depicted in the drawing, a safety attachment according to the invention is designed to be attached to conventional pole climbers equipment, and more particularly to the end portions 10a, 10b of the safety belt component 10 thereof, which latter, as is well understood, is adapted in its inactive position to hang suspended from its both ends by its safety snap hooks from one of the D-rings 12a, 12b carried by a body belt 14 which is adapted to be secured about the waist of the climber, and in its active or working position to extend about the rear. side of the pole and to be fastened at both its ends by said snap hooks to the two D-rings.

A safety attachment as herein contemplated comprises a pair of slides generally designated 16, 18 which are mounted for sliding movement on the end portions of the safety belt 10, and a flexible connector 20 adapted to be secured at its ends to said slides, thus in use to extend across the space between the end portions of the safety belt 10.

By slide as the term is used herein is meant a unit or assembly comprising a channel-sectioned body member 22 which is disposed on edge and turned so that its channel faces inwardly, and whose channel has depth and width slightly greater than the thickness and width, re spectively, of the safety belt 10 so that the latter may be freely accommodated therein, and a back plate 24 secured as by screws 24a to the top edges of the channel side flanges, thus to close the inner open side of the channel. Moreover, the external width and depth dimensions of the body member and back plate of each slide are such that the slide may be firmly grasped in the hand and quickly slid in one or the opposite direction along the length of the safety-belt end portion to which it is mounted.

Preferably, the flexible connector 20 which may be provided by a length of chain as shown or, alternatively, by a band or strap of leather, nylon and the like, is permanently affixed at its one end to one of the slides 16, 18 and is provided at its other end with a safety snap hook 20a, by which said end may be detachably connected to the other slide. For this purpose, said slides are provided with the inwardly projecting U-bolts 26a, 26b functioning as connector-end anchoring points.

Preferably also, the flexible connector 20 is provided with means whereby its length may be adjusted generally in accordance with the diameter of a pole to be climbed, which in the case of the connector being a length of chain may comprise a take-up link such as that designated 28 or in the case of the connector being a leather or nylon strap, for example, may comprise a length-adjusting buckle (not shown). Speaking generally, the length of the connector 20 will be somewhat less than the developed length of one-half the circumference of the pole to be climbed.

According to the invention, the slides 16, 18 incorporate means, specifically a forward tongue-like extension 39 on each of the back plates 24 thereof, which are adapted, when the slides are firmly grasped in the hands of the climber and quickly slid towards the pole, to knife into the gaps or crevices always present between the side surfaces of the pole and the adjacent surfaces of the safety belt it) when the latter has been pas"ed around the rear or back side of said pole, fastened at both its ends to the body belt 14, and thereupon tautened by the climber leaning backwardly thereagainst. Consequent to the forward movement of the slides, the flexible connector 20 is brought into engagement with the front side of the pole and is then releasably held and in effect locked in such position by the slides, by virtue of the fact that said slides are firmly held to the pole by the substantial inward forces exerted on at least the back plate extensions 30 thereof which have knifed into the aforesaid crevices by the portions of the safety belt which overlie same.

It will be appreciated that such arrangement provides for the pole being completely encircled and entrapped between the portion of the safety belt 10 which extends about the back half thereof and the connector 20 extending a cross substantially the front half thereof. By actual experience, it has been found that the holding force exerted by the conjoint pole-trapping action efiected by the safety belt and connector secured as aforesaid is sufiicient to sustain the full weight of the climber, should a gaff supporting him slip or break away from the pole during climbing or descending, or should both gaffs break away from the pole while he is in the working position.

Analysis will also show that a safety attachment according to the invention, when applied to conventional pole-climbing equipment, provides a procedure for climbing and descending poles which while somewhat different from that heretofore required to be practiced by the standard equipment used without benefit of the present safety attachment is simpler, less tiring and safer than the latter. Thus, according to the new climbing procedure, the climber standing at the foot of the pole first passes his safety belt 10 around the back thereof and then connects the free end thereof to his body belt, such as he would if he were aloft. Next he connects the two slides 16, 18 (assumed to be already mounted on the end portions of the safety belt) by fastening both ends of the exible connector 20 thereto, whereupon the safety attachment now is positioned between him and the pole. Then the climber, his hands meanwhile gripping the slides, moves the safety belt up the back side of the pole by a lifting or flipping action which he imparts thereto through use of the slides, whereupon he proceeds to move the slides forwardly with a quick action until the slide extensions 16a, 18a can go no farther, and then he leans his weight backwards. As a result, the safety belt tautens and the slides are thereby relcasably held to the pole which is now trapped, rear half by safety belt and front half by the connector 2% extending between the slides.

The climber, now securely fastened to the pole, takes two or three steps up the pole until he can go no higher because his safety belt remains secured to the pole by the slides. Thereupon he leans his weight forward and by so doing releases the slides from the pole; and then, while both gaffs are still in the pole, he moves the slides relatively rearwardly or towards himself and through use thereof quickly swings or flips the safety belt up the pole in a further increment of upward movement. Such starts a new cycle which is repeated as necessary.

In descending the pole, the reverse operations are of course followed, upon release of the slides as aforesaid.

The pole-climbing and descending method or procedure just described is obviously much simpler and less tiring than that previously followed, in that the climber is not required to hold on to the pole with arms outstretched and in a crouched position as he makes climbing or descending steps. It is also safer because whenever the slides are released from the pole by the climber pulling same towards him, he is always in a favorable posture of having at least one gaff set in the pole. That is to say, even if one gaff breaks away from the pole, the other most assuredly would hold. But even if perchance the second gaff should also break away from the pole, the climber, sensing same, can immediately again move the slides forwardly and in effect lock the safety belt. Hence, even under the unlikely condition of both gaffs breaking away from the pole, the worst that can happen to the climber is that he will hang from the pole via the secured safety belt and his body belt.

From the above, the disclosure on which the appended claims are based may be abstracted as follows:

A safety attachment for conventional pole climbing equipment in the nature of a body belt and a safety belt adapted upon being extended about the back side of a pole to he climbed to have both its ends connected to the body belt, said attachment comprising a pair of slides mounted on the end portions of the safety belt which extend between the pole and the climber for sliding movement therealong in either direction and a flexible connector extending between and affixed to the slides and having length somewhat less than the developed length of one-half the circumference of said pole, the slides each incorporating means in the nature of a forwardly projecting extension disposed on the inner side of the associated safety-belt end portion, which projections are adapted when the slides are slid forwardly by the climber as far as they will go to knife into the crevices between the sides of the pole and the immediately overlying end portions of the safety belt, whereupon the slides are releasably held to the opposite sides of the pole by the inward pressure exerted on said projections by the safety belt upon the latter being tautened by the climber leaning backwardly thereon, all as results in the flexible connector being brought and secured in engagement with the front side of the pole, and thereby trapping of the pole between the safety belt portion extending about the back side and said flexible connector extending across its front side.

It is of course to be understood that changes in shape, form, points of connection between parts, etc. may be made in the illustrated safety attachment without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the following claims:

I claim:

1. A safety attachment for pole-climbing equipment including a body belt adapted to be worn by the climber and a safety belt adapted in its active position to extend around the rear side of a pole to he climbed and to be endconnected to said body belt, said attachment comprising; a pair of slides adapted to be mounted on the end portions of the safety belt which extend between pole and climber for free sliding movement therealong in either direction, flexible connecting means afiixed at its both ends to and extending between said slides and having length somewhat less than the developed length of one-half the circumference of the pole, said slides incorporating means adapted to be projected, responsive to bodily forward movement imparted to said slides by the climber, into the crevices formed between the inner surface of the safety-belt end portions and the adjacent side surfaces of the pole, the construction and arrangement being such that when said slide-incorporated means are so projected and the safety belt tautened by the climber leaning backwards to place some of his weight thereon, said connecting means is brought into engagement with the front side of the pole and thereupon secured in such position by virtue of the slides being forcefully held to the pole by the inward pressure of the safety belt on at least their said projecting means.

2. A safety attachment according to claim 1, wherein said slide incorporated means comprises a tongue-like extension on each slide which projects forwardly therefrom and is disposed to the inner side of the safety belt end-portion on which said slide is mounted.

3. A safety attachment according to claim 1, wherein said slides each comprises a body member of channel section being disposed on edge and with its channel facing inwardly and providing for the reception of an end portion of the safety belt, and a back plate removably secured to the body member so as to close the inner open side of said channel, the depth and width of the channel being substantially equal to the thickness and width, respectively, of the safety-belt end portion, whereby each said slide is freely movable along the end portion of the safety belt on which it is mounted.

4. A safety attachment according to claim 3, wherein each said slide-incorporated means comprises a tonguelike extension projecting forwardly from the back plate of the slide body-member.

5. A safety attachment according to claim 1, wherein said connecting means extending between the slides is adjustable as to length.

6. A safety attachment according to claim 1, wherein the connecting means comprises a chain.

7. Pole climbing equipment including, in combination, a body belt having attaching means, a safety belt carrying quick-detachable attaching means at each end thereof adapted for cooperation with said body belt attaching means, said body belt being adapted to be worn about the waist of the climber and said safety belt being adapted to be passed around the rear side of the pole being climbed and to be secured at both its ends to said body belt, and a safety attachment comprising a pair of slides mounted for relatively free sliding movement on the end portions of said safety belt extending between the pole and the body belt, and a flexible connecting means afiixed at its ends and extending between slides and having length somewhat less than the developed length of one-half the circumference of said pole, said slides incorporating means adapted to be projected into the crevices formed between the sides of the pole and the inner surface of the safety-belt end portions, the construction and arrangement being such that when the slide-incorporated means are projected into the aforesaid crevices and the body belt has been tautened by the climber leaning backward thereagainst, the connecting means after being brought into engagement with the front side of the pole is locked in such position by virtue of the slides being forcefully held to the pole by the inwardly directed force exerted on at least their said means by the safety belt, all as effects full encirclement and entrapment of the pole between the safety belt and said connecting means.

8. Linesmans pole climbing equipment according to claim 7, wherein said slide-incorporated means comprises a tongue-like extension on each said slide which projects forwardly thereof and is disposed to the inner side of the safety-belt end portion on which said slide is mounted.

9. Linesmans pole climbing equipment according to claim 7, wherein said slides each comprises a channelsectioned body-member disposed on edge and with its channel facing inwardly and providing for the reception of an end portion of the safety belt, and a back plate removably secured to said body member and closing the inner open side of said channel, the depth and width of the channel corresponding substantially to the thickness and width, respectively, of the safety-belt end portion on which the slide is mounted, as permits free relative movement therebetween, and wherein said slide-incorporated means each comprises a forward tongue-like extension on said back plate.

10. Linesmans pole climbing equipment according to claim 7, wherein said connecting means incorporates length-adjusting means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,120,496 12/1914 Holsclaw 1829 2,853,220 9/1958 Thomas 182-3 2,879,830 3/1959 Johnson 1829 2,920,714 1/1960 Johnson 182-9 REINALDO P. MACHADO, Primary Examiner. 

